(Meanwhile, through the last part of this conversation, Varlie has taken out the Green Jade Carving, seen in Act II., from his pocket. Loveday recognises it and shows tense anxiety and suppressed excitement. Varlie glances stealthily round the room, and sees that no one is looking at him, for Loveday pretends not to see him; she then turns her head just in time to see him drop a drop of the poison into the coffee cup on the piano, and quickly to turn away, his back to the group, and go to another picture, hanging down right front of the piano. Varlie calmly pretends to be absorbed in examining the picture. Loveday is for a moment weak with amazement and anxiety, and is evidently hesitating as to what course to follow, by the time the Minister says, “Good-bye, good luck.”)
Gordon.
Good-bye, Sir, thank you. (Desperate.) And may I come and see you in office hours about my scheme? It is very important, it—is a series of clauses for an international arrangement which will wipe German Militarism and all other militarism off the earth—it—
Minister.
If you must send it—and I really ask you not to, I am deluged with other people’s ideas—if you must send it, my secretary will attend to it. Good-bye.
(Gordon steps back very dejected. The Minister turns, takes up his coffee cup and says a word to the Duchess.)
Minister.
And now for our chat, my dear.
(He raises the coffee cup, about to drink slowly. Loveday springs forward and dashes the cup from his hand, spilling the coffee. [Note.—Better have a brown carpet so that the successive stains of a long run won’t show.] The Duchess and Minister look amazed.)